Chapter 76
We made it back to the sunlight with no other interruptions, much to my relief, and I couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief, grateful that no one had decided to hurt the prince while he was in there.
Oh thank the Great...
Caspian bit back a small chuckle when he heard my sigh of relief and raised an eyebrow in question with amusement flashing through his eyes. "Was that for me?" he asked and tucked his head closer to his chest. "Are you relieved that I am safe?"
I shrugged and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thin line. "I am relieved that nothing else had attacked us," I said, not answering his question if that sigh of relief was for him or something else entirely different.
Caspian paused and looked around before he looked at me. A look of nervousness flashed across his face, and he bit back a small gulp. "Were we not safe?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper while he looked around us before he looked at me.
"We were safe in there for now," I said and nodded.
"It doesn't mean that something bad could have happened to us.
" I shrugged and grimaced, pressing my lips into a thin line.
"There's a lot of unrest going on in the alleyways.
I do not know what is happening, but I am going to figure it out soon; I have to. "
Caspian slowly nodded and pressed his lips into a thin line. A look of worry flashed through his eyes, and I had a feeling that he didn't like the idea of me having to do it.
"It's my job, Rupor," I said as soon as I walked onto the main road and started to make my way to the pub, looking around for Ilas because I knew that he would be close, especially since he wanted to be nosey and see what I was up to and who I was seeing.
"I have to make sure that the place stays safe. "
I breathed a small sigh of relief when I saw Ilas sitting in a doorway near the pub, and my whole body slowly but surely started to relax when I looked at him to see that he was fine, for now.
Oh, thank the Great...
Ilas turned to look in our direction from whatever else he was looking for, and his dark brown eyes seemed to sparkle with mirth and curiosity. He bit back a small smile when he looked at us, and he bowed his head in respect.
I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line before I turned my attention away from him.
Caspian moved closer to me, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. His gaze was on Ilas before he turned to look at me. "Isn't that the guy from y- three days ago?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
I nodded in confirmation. "That is him." I shifted my basket from one arm to the other before I cleared my throat. I glanced at him when he started to move away from my side and go toward Ilas. "Where are you going, Rupor?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
Caspian stopped moving from my side and scowled while he narrowed his eyes at me, and a look of annoyance flashed through his eyes. "To go talk to him," he said, and I didn't need to look at Ilas to see that he had a cheeky grin on his face. "It's not nice to ignore our friends."
"Our?" I asked and raised my eyebrow higher in question while I studied him, mildly impressed that he said our friend when Ilas was my friend, my companion and not his.
"Yes," he said and nodded, biting back a small chuckle. "Any friend that you may have, I would like to consider my own if they would allow me." He looked toward Ilas before he looked at me, biting back a small smile. "So I would like t-"
"We are being waited on," I said, interrupting him, with a shake of my head. "You can talk to him later, but unfortunately, you will not be able to talk to him now."
Caspian looked toward Ilas before he looked at me. "Am I able to t-"
"As much as I hate saying this, I would suggest you don't talk to him alone," I said, interrupting him and ignoring the playful glare that Ilas shot my way.
"For your safety, and my peace of mind." I grabbed my basket tighter in my hands, afraid of the unknowns that came with this.
"Unfortunately I am not able to say a lot, but I would like it if you did respect my wishes and not talk to him for now. "
Caspian turned to look at Ilas before he looked at me, and a look of curiosity filled his eyes as if he had no idea what I meant but would do what I had asked.
"And what if he talks to me first?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me.
"Can I talk to him then? I don't want to be seen as rude if I ignore him when he talks to me. "
I bit back an annoyed sigh but didn't say a word while I opened the door to the mill and gestured for them to go inside.
As always the patrons of the mill stopped talking and looked our way as soon as they heard the door open. They didn't say a word about the two hooded figures with me nor question as to why I was wearing a hood over my face, even though I could tell that they were curious about it.
Lexus walked in first with Caspian behind him, and I followed last, closing the door behind me without answering Caspian's question. He looked around at the patrons of the mill before he looked at me, not knowing where to go and wanted me to tell him what to do.
"Come see me, Marini," Charles said from behind the counter. "He is in a meeting." He gestured toward the lantern, and I bit back an annoyed groan when I saw that the fire was lit.
I bit back a groan of annoyance while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Doesn't he know that I have to start training soon?" I asked and walked over to Charles with Lexus and Caspian following me, close behind me.
"Eh." Charles shrugged and grimaced. "He said it would be quick and then you could come with your friends.
" He looked at Caspian and Lexus before he looked at me, raising an eyebrow in question.
"Also why do you have a hood over your face, Marini?
You never wear a hood over your face. Heck, you never wear a cloak. "
I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line.
"Mama wanted me to wear a cloak with a hood," I said and sat down in a chair, resting my basket in my lap so that the others could sit down on either side of me if they chose to do so.
I removed my hood and silently signalled for Caspian to keep his hood up, and the Prince subtly nodded, silently agreeing that he wouldn't take his hood off.
Caspian sat down in a chair beside me, and Lexus sat in the seat opposite him, much to my curiosity. He didn't say a word, and I could tell that he was nervous about being in this place, even though he was with me.
I glanced at Caspian before I turned to look at Charles, pressing my lips into a thin line. "It led me to being attacked."
The patrons of the place grew tense and shifted closer to us, becoming very protective of me against these people.
I rolled my eyes and scowled, pressing my lips into a thinner line. "I am fine," I said to the patrons that were gathered while I lifted my head but didn't look at them. "I won this fight between us."
The patrons backed off just a bit while Lexus cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, and he relaxed ever so slightly.
"I believe that the fight you are referring to ended in a draw, Lady Marini, because your friend said that he thought it was you," he said and bowed his head, and I made a disgruntled noise in the back of my throat as soon as he called me lady.
Charles looked at me weirdly and amusement flashed through his eyes. "What was that Marini?" he asked with a small laugh in his voice. "What was that noise?"
"That was the fact that I was called "Lady Marini" by someone who had already been told not to call me that." I shot Lexus and an annoyed glare, and Lexus bit back a small smile and bowed his head.
"And how many times have I told you to use my name and not something else?" Caspian asked and gave me a pointed look while he raised his eyebrow in question.
I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line. "That is different, Rupor," I said coldly. "That is your title. Being called a lady is not mine."
"You could call her Daughter of the tribe," Charles supplied, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, raising an eyebrow in question. "I don't know if there is a better name than that, but that works."
I shook my head and pressed my lips into a thin line. "Unfortunately, that isn't something I can go by," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "I am going to have to start going by Balis of the Southern Tip even in here."
Charles raised an eyebrow higher in question, and a look of worry appeared on his face.
"Is it that bad?" he asked, and I nodded in confirmation, staying silent.
He pressed his lips into a thin line and slowly nodded before he cleared his throat.
"Anyway, did you need something to eat?" he asked, changing the subject, knowing full well that I didn't want to talk about it.
I shook my head. "No, but can you get us some water though please?" I asked, reaching into my basket for some change.
"I don't know why you are trying to pay for water when you do not need to, Marini," Charles said as soon as he saw my hand go into the basket. "Jonah would kill me if he figured out I had let you pay."
Caspian shifted beside me, and I knew that he was going to get some change for the waters. "The-"
"That goes for you too, Rupor," Charles said, interrupting him with a shake of his head. "It is only water, and I take it that you are a friend of Marini's." He raised an eyebrow in question and glanced at me before he looked at him.
"An acquaintance," I replied, interrupting Caspian from saying something, and he shot me an annoyed and playful look. "He is an acquaintance of mine."
"Hmph." Charles smirked. He glanced to my left when someone else sat down beside me before he looked at me.
"Speaking of acquaintances..." he said and flashed me a small smirk and a wink, and I rolled my eyes and scowled, earning a small chuckle from the male in front of me.
"I will get you four waters. Excuse me."
And with that and without another word, he bowed his head and left to get the waters for the four of us.
Oh for the love of the Great...